By Alexandria San Juan
Transport group leaders has clarified that there will be no transport strike to be staged in Metro Manila on October 16 and 17 as they lashed out at the Manila Police District (MPD) for giving “fake news” to the public.
Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON) National President George San Mateo said they will not stage transport strike on the said dates or in the coming days.
The group made the statement in reaction to Manila Police District (MPD) announcement that they received information that a two-day transport strike will be conducted by PISTON and other transport groups including Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP), Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (ACTO), Land Transportation Organization of the Philippines (LTOP), Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP), and Pangkalahatang Sanggunian Manila and Suburb Drivers Assoc. Nationwide Inc. (PASANGMASDA).
San Mateo said that the information being distributed by the police are mere “fake news.”
In his Facebook post, he added that the MPD might be mistakenly referring to the advisory on last year’s transport strike surfacing again on the internet.
On October 16 and 17 last year, PISTON staged a nationwide transport strike to protest against the government’s jeepney modernization program.
“If it is true that their basis of information is on Facebook, it’s a shame on MPD-PNP. They have a big intel budget but their sources are old posts in Facebook. They should have validated the dates first,” San Mateo said.
Meanwhile, PASANGMASDA head Obet Martin also belied police’s claims, adding that his group never joined a transport strike.
The MPD has yet to react on the issue.